There are five extra game modes that you can unlock in Dead Space 3.
The first four (Classic, Hardcore, New Game+, and Pure Survival) are unlocked simply by beating the game the first time on any difficulty.
Retro mode is unlocked by beating Hardcore mode.. have fun with that one.
Game Mode Descriptions
Classic Mode – Coop is disabled, you can only build classic weapons at the crafting bench, there are no cross hairs, and the difficulty level is set to Hard. Completing Classic mode unlocks the bad ass Devil Horns weapon.
Hardcore Mode – Death is permanent, so dying in this mode makes you start from the beginning (Diablo 2 style). You can save your game, but the save feature only really allows you to save and quit. Completing Hardcore mode unlocks Retro mode.
Pro Tip: Want to save your progress in Hardcore mode in case you die? Get a USB drive and copy your save game to it every time you save your game, that way if you die you can just copy it back and try again. This kind of defeats the purpose of Hardcore, but hey.. I’m ok with it if you are.
New Game Plus – You retain all of your resources and inventory from your previous game. You’ll also be able to find+3 Circuits and MK-II Overclocked Parts when playing through this mode as well.
Pure Survival Mode – Enemies no longer drop health or ammo (you’ll have to make it all at the crafting bench), and the difficulty level is set to Hard. Complete Pure Survival mode to unlock a MK-II Overclocked Parts set and a Mega Resources deposit.
Retro Mode – Retro mode adds a pixel filter to make the entire game look like old school games (Doom style.. yeah buddy!)
Need More Tips?
Want more tips and tricks? Check out my other guide for more cheats, tips, unlockables, guides and more for Dead Space 3.